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The Ultimate Proof of God’s Existence

Is there one overwhelming argument that proves beyond all shadow of doubt that God exists?

Don Ruhl • Savage Street, Grants Pass, Oregon • January 9, In the year of our Lord 2013

 

Prelude:

  1. The strength of this evidence is so strong 
    1. that millions of people have staked their lives upon it and
    2. they would die for this piece of evidence.
  2. At one time, everyone, including atheists, accepted the existence of this evidence, 
    1. except they just denied whether the evidence was true.
    2. The New Atheists, a breed of God-haters,
      1. now say this evidence never existed.
      2. To deny that this evidence ever existed, they have to deny
        1. the divinity of Bible,
        2. the establishment of the church, and
        3. world history.
          1. They have to deny our dating system,
          2. which they have started to do.
            1. They have to deny part of the United States Constitution,
            2. which I have not heard them do yet.
  3. This piece of evidence is as strong as your very existence. 
    1. You exist as much as this evidence exists.
    2. To deny this super-piece of evidence
      1. one might as well deny the existence of any historical person, that is,
      2. deny that anyone else lived whom you have never seen.
  4. When you accept the existence of this irrefutable piece of evidence, 
    1. you will know that there is a God in heaven
    2. as much as you know people live in other countries.
  5. This piece of evidence has such undeniable persuasiveness 
    1. that not only have I staked my life and death upon it, but
    2. my job of preaching is wholly dependent upon it.
      1. If this evidence is not true, or does not exist,
      2. I have to quit preaching and quit living the Christian life.

Persuasion:

  1. The Existence of Jesus Christ 
    1. If you deny that Jesus existed,
      1. you might as well deny that Caesar Augustus existed
      2. who ruled Rome at the time Jesus was born.
        1. What other famous man or woman do atheists deny existed,
        2. other than Jesus of Nazareth?
    2. Writers outside of the New Testament referenced Jesus.
      1. Cornelius Tacitus, a Roman historian, not writing favorably, about ad 112,

        Christus, the founder of the name, was put to death by Pontius Pilate, procurator of Judea in the reign of Tiberius: but the pernicious superstition, repressed for time broke out again, not only through Judea, where the mischief originated, but through the city of Rome also.

      2. Lucian of Samosata, a writer of the second century, mocking Jesus,

        …the man who was crucified in Palestine because he introduced this new cult into the world…Furthermore, their first lawgiver persuaded them that they were all brothers one of another after they have transgressed once for all by denying the Greek gods and by worshipping that crucified sophist himself and living under his laws.

      3. Flavius Josephus, born ad 37, wrote of the high priest during the time of Jesus of Nazareth,

        …and brought before it the brother of Jesus the so-called Christ, whose name was James, together with some others, and having accused them as law-breakers, he delivered them over to be stoned.

      4. Suetonius, a Roman historian writing around ad 120,

        As the Jews were making constant disturbances at the instigation of Chrestus, he expelled them from Rome.

        1. I could produce more, but these make the point sufficiently.
        2. Atheists do not deny other parts of these writer’s material.
  2. Who Was Jesus of Nazareth? 
    1. Examine these references in John.
      1. John 7 shows people debating whether Jesus was good or not.

        12 And there was much complaining among the people concerning Him. Some said, “He is good”; others said, “No, on the contrary, He deceives the people” (John 7.12).

        1. Do you believe He was good, or
        2. do you believe He deceived people?
      2. John 7 again shows people asking a good question,

        31 And many of the people believed in Him, and said, “When the Christ comes, will He do more signs than these which this Man has done?” (John 7.31).

        1. What else should He have done to persuade people that He came from God?
        2. If you list something, would that truly have converted the multitudes?
      3. John 9 makes us think about His power,

        33 “If this Man were not from God, He could do nothing” (John 9.33).

        1. The man who said this, meant Jesus could not have done miracles.
        2. If Jesus did come from God, He could do miracles.
      4. John 10 shows people disputing both His words and works,

        19 Therefore there was a division again among the Jews because of these sayings. 20 And many of them said, “He has a demon and is mad. Why do you listen to Him?” 21 Others said, “These are not the words of one who has a demon. Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?” (John 10.19–21).

        1. Not just could a demon open the eyes of the blind, but
        2. would a demon open the eyes of the blind?
          1. Yet, Jesus opened the eyes of the physically blind and the spiritually blind.
          2. He was the opposite of a demon, He was divine.
      5. John 10 shows that He knew that some would have problems believing Him,

        37 “If I do not do the works of My Father, do not believe Me; 38 but if I do, though you do not believe Me, believe the works, that you may know and believe that the Father is in Me, and I in Him” (John 10.37, 38).

        1. If you have trouble believing His words,
        2. examine His works and see what you conclude.
          1. Examine the first one recorded in John (Chapter 2).
          2. What motive could John, or the church have, for falsifying this account?
    2. What does it mean that Jesus is the Son of God?
      1. It means there is a God.
      2. It means that Jesus came from God.
    3. Jesus is God.
      1. What we can say about God,
      2. we can say about Jesus.
      3. Remember the opening words of The Gospel According to John,

        1 In the beginning was the Word, and
        the Word was with God, and
        [God was the Word].
        2 He was in the beginning with God.
        3 All things were made through Him, and
        without Him nothing was made that was made.
        4 In Him was life, and
        the life was the light of men.
        5 And the light shines in the darkness, and
        the darkness did not comprehend it.
        (John 1.1–5).

  3. The Existence of the Church Demonstrates the Existence of Jesus 
    1. The church exploded onto the scene in the first century.
      1. You cannot explain the sudden existence of the church
      2. without acknowledging the existence of Jesus Christ.
        1. Something happened in the first century that
          1. changed the men known as the apostles, and
          2. changed countless numbers of people.
        2. I will cover this more in the next lesson on, “Watergate and the Resurrection of Christ.”
    2. What happened?
      1. A man named Jesus taught and did wonderful things.
      2. Then the Jewish leaders along with the Roman leaders killed Him.
        1. Although He had spoken of this happening,
        2. it still surprised every one of them!
          1. Everyone was sad, disappointed, and fearful,
          2. ready to give up.
    3. Yet, the sadness, disappointment, and fear did not last.
      1. Most importantly, they did not give up.
      2. They changed the Roman Empire and they changed the rest of the world.
        1. Something happened in the first century that still reverberates to
          1. this day,
          2. all over the world.
        2. What could possibly have happened
          1. that changed fearful, discouraged followers
          2. into people who would live and die for what they believed?
    4. Jesus had died, then many of them saw Him later,
      1. alive, walking, eating, doing all the things we do.
      2. Jesus had been raised from the dead!
        1. Other people had been raised from the dead,
        2. without anyone declaring them to be the Son or Daughter of God.
    5. John 10 shows a difference in the resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth.
      1. Something happened that had not happened with
      2. any other resurrection in the history of the world.

        17 “Therefore My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again. 18 No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This command I have received from My Father” (John 10.17, 18).

        1. In other resurrections, someone stood by the dead body and raised it.
        2. With Jesus, no one stood next Him or outside His tomb.
          1. He raised Himself from the dead.
          2. He received the commandment to do that from God the Father.
            1. Therefore, God exists.
            2. Moreover, Jesus did what only God could do.
              1. God created life.
              2. As God, Jesus can re-create life!
    6. The resurrection declared Jesus to be the Son of God (Rom 1.4).
      1. That moved the apostles and the rest of believers as nothing ever could.
      2. The same truths have moved countless people today!
    7. Jesus existed and we can only explain His existence in one of three possible ways.
      1. First, He was a liar.
        1. This would mean that He knew He lied in claiming to come from God.
        2. When you read the words of Jesus, are you reading the words of a liar?
      2. Second, He was a lunatic.
        1. This would mean that He was out of His mind.
        2. Do the teachings of Jesus seem like the words of a lunatic?
      3. Third, He was the Lord.
        1. If He was not a liar, and if He was not a lunatic,
        2. He had to be what He claimed to be.
          1. That would mean Jesus was the Lord and came from God.
          2. Therefore, there is a God in heaven.

Exhortation:

  1. Jesus exists, therefore, God exists. 
    1. Jesus said and did things that only God could say and do.
    2. People say they have never seen God, but
      1. all they have to do is look at Jesus of Nazareth.
      2. God appeared in the flesh, and
        1. many accepted it, and
        2. many did not accept it.
  2. What will you do? Accept or Deny? 
    1. Do you believe that Jesus came from God?
    2. Do you believe that makes Jesus the Son of God?
      1. If He is the Son of God, become His follower.